Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Maggie's Survivor Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Biomarkers
- ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative (triple-negative)
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- lungs, lymph nodes; possible liver
- Treatment
- a clinical trial, chemotherapy and immunotherapy
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- Taxol was first discussed before U.S. treatment
- Testing showed PD-L1 positivity, which opened the option of chemotherapy plus immunotherapy
- After getting her green card, she entered a clinical trial
- Trial treatment included 2 years of chemotherapy plus CT scan monitoring, often with treatments on Fridays.
What happened, in summary
Maggie was applying for a U.S. green card when she was diagnosed in 2022 with de novo Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer. She is from the Netherlands and had planned to move to the United States because her wife is American. Before the diagnosis, she noticed a large bruised feeling in her left breast but brushed it off because the area felt soft and she did not think breast cancer fit her situation.
A pulmonary specialist quickly pushed her to get a mammogram after seeing something concerning in the breast area. Mammogram and biopsy confirmed breast cancer, and the cancer had already spread to lymph nodes and the lungs; she also recalled possible liver involvement. The tumor was triple-negative, and she later learned she was PD-L1 positive, which opened the door to immunotherapy.
Taxol was initially discussed, but once Maggie reached the United States, her oncologist moved quickly to enroll her in a clinical trial. The trial involved chemotherapy plus immunotherapy, with treatment often on Fridays and 2 years of chemotherapy and CT scans covered by the sponsor. Side effects included fatigue, trouble eating or drinking after treatment, nausea, and heartburn. As of February 2025, Maggie reported being cancer-free, with no evidence of disease for well over 1 year.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by The Patient Story. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer